


With A Little Help From My Friends

by RealDaveofDaves



Series: The Maze of Moments - A Clay and Justin Story [8]
Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: Dorito Pudding Chips, F/M, I Wanted to Write Something Silly, M/M, Marijuana, Party, Summer, pot brownies, so here you go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-23 15:43:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16161935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RealDaveofDaves/pseuds/RealDaveofDaves
Summary: In which Cyrus hosts a summer party. And there are....brownies. Special brownies. And someone eats one....





	1. Comfortably Numb...

**Author's Note:**

> Warning for (unintentional) drug use.

 

 

_Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends_  
_Mm, get high with a little help from my friends_  
_Oh, I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends_

 -from "With a Little Help from My Friends," by the Beatles

 

 

As a general rule, the Gang had come to hate high school parties for several very good reasons. All one had to do was look to their recent past to understand why, there was far too much tragedy involved with them. However, the exception was if it was just them and a few others that they knew and could trust; after all, they had become close friends, and could maintain control of the situation. The night following the Prom had been one such example - they had gathered at the Jensen home for the remainder of the night and had a good time. Even Clay, who had previously disdained parties, had started to come out of his shell more, thanks to his relationship with Sheri and some prodding by his new brother - albeit in a not so gentle way sometimes.

So, when Cyrus announced that he would have the house to himself that upcoming Friday night and intended to host a party, some of that gentle prodding was necessary on Justin's part.

"Look," Justin had said earlier that afternoon in his room, laying on his bed and tossing a football in the air, "it's gonna be us...like the big us, you know? The gang. It'll be at Cyrus' place, his dad and sister are out of town and he knows and is cool with it. It'll be fun! We'll let off some steam."

Clay groaned and rolled his eyes in response. "JJ, I don't know. You told mom and dad that we were having a movie night over there. That doesn't seem very...what's the word I'm looking for? Responsible?"

"Dude, you have so got to lighten up. Look, a whole new world opens up if you keep  _some_ stuff from parents...."

"Really. Like hiding your future brother in your bedroom, maybe? Yeah, tell me about it," Clay replied dryly.

"Yeah...sorry. But hey, you know what I mean, right? It'll be fine, it'll be us and some of Cyrus' friends. No big deal."

"Can't I just take Sheri someplace tonight instead and you all do your thing?"

Justin grinned. "What if I make sure you and Sheri get some alone time tonight at the party?" He tossed the football to his brother.

Clay narrowed his eyes in reply as he awkwardly caught it.

"Bro, I'm serious! You've been working a lot, she's had summer school....when was the last time the two of you fu-"

"Shut up! That's none of your business!"

"Yeah, thought so. C'mon Clay, it'll be fun!"

"All right. Fine," Clay threw a wobbly pass back to Justin and then raised his hands in defeat. "But we need to stay safe. No beer or anything."

"What?"

"You heard me. None."

"So what the fuck are we supposed to drink then?!"

"Justin, you know you shouldn't have any!"

"Look. What if we each have just _one_ and keep it at that? You can have Sheri make sure you don't drink any more, and you all can keep an eye on me."

Clay frowned. "But I hate beer as it is. I ever tell you what happened when you all made me chug that forty?"

"Dude, one beer won't hurt either one of us." Desperate now, and knowing that Clay was vulnerable to it every time, Justin pulled out his secret weapon: making puppy dog eyes at his brother. "Please?"

"Okay, okay. Fine. ONE beer apiece and that's it." Clay sighed.

"All right! Bro, it's summer, this is what we're supposed to do!" Justin got up from his bed and walked over, wrapped his arm around Clay's shoulders, and brought him in for a side hug. "Make sure you bring a condom. Well...knowing you, better make it a couple," he winked.

"Shut up," Clay pushed him off, but grinned anyway, remembering that he had impressed Justin with _some_ of the details of how he lost his virginity on Prom night, and how many times he had sex with Sheri into the following day. "Let me text Sheri."

So, a summer party it was.

And Matt and Lainie wouldn't know the details.

What could possibly go wrong?

 

**********

 

Alex Standall limped over to Cyrus to help him put sodas and beers in the refrigerator. Because of his physical therapy sessions with Zach, his bad leg was growing stronger, and he could walk for periods of time without his cane, although he still needed his brace. The freedom this gave him was exhilarating, perfect for summer. He didn't even mind the fact that his brace was obvious if he was wearing shorts, which he was, and which is why Cyrus whistled in appreciation as he bent over to open up a twelve pack of beer.

"Oh my God, really Cy?"

Cyrus simply stared and smirked in appreciation. "Hey, can I help it that my boyfriend has an amazing ass?"

"Well, this is true."

"Mhmm." Cyrus came over and rubbed his crotch up against Alex's rear.

"Hey, easy there...you'll make me lose my balance..."

Cyrus backed away quickly. "Sorry, 'Lex!"

"It's okay, just be careful. We can mess around later after everyone goes home," Alex said as he straightened up and grinned at his boyfriend. "Are you going to tell me how you got all this beer?"

"I have my ways," Cyrus smirked. "And! That's not all I have. Look." He turned and opened a bag on the counter and pulled out a paper plate covered in plastic wrap. "Chad dropped these off earlier before you got here."

Alex's eyes widened in anticipation. "Brownies! Yes, please! I never get to have those anymore at home!"

"Oh, I guarantee you'll _never_ get to have these at home," Cyrus smirked again.

"You...he didn't. Are those...do those have what I think they have in them?"

"Only some of the finest weed in this part of the state, my sexy Lexy."

"Holy shit, Cy. You know Justin can't have that shit anymore. I don't think Zach does it either, or the girls. And I've never heard about Tony getting high....don't even start me on Clay!"

"Babe, relax. There's enough here for you and me and Chad, maybe a couple of my crew. I'll make sure they stay out of the Gang's hands, don't worry. Okay?"

"All right," Alex nodded. "But you _better_ make sure of that. I don't want anything to get all fucked up again with us."

Cyrus came over and hugged his boyfriend, giving the ass he was admiring a squeeze. "I promise. Don't worry. We're gonna have a fucking awesome time!"

 

**********

 

Maybe calling it a "party" in the traditional sense wasn't exactly the correct description. It wasn't as if there were dozens upon dozens of people there as in previous ones, spilling out into front and back yards and causing noise complaints and the like. It was a crowded house all the same, with music blaring and video games being played, and teenagers being teenagers.

Clay sipped some beer from a red solo cup and frowned a little.

"Still don't like it, huh?" Sheri asked.

"That would be correct. At least it's cold, so there's that. I probably shouldn't even have this little bit with my meds and all."

"When did you take your pills?"

"Um. This morning. With breakfast."

"Okay," Sheri nodded. "That was, what, nearly twelve hours ago? Just limit yourself to this one, don't chug it, and then switch to soda or water and you'll be fine."

Clay smiled and kissed her. "Always looking out for me."

"You'd better believe it, Handsome Guy." Sheri kissed him back, and allowed it to linger for a minute or so, which caused several whoops from their friends, and Clay's face to turn the same color of the cup in his hand.

"Somebody gets embarrassed easily," Scott said with a big grin as he came over and gave a friendly squeeze to Clay's shoulders. "What's wrong man, not big on the PDA?"

Clay turned a little more red, and tried to sputter out an answer. "Uhhh...no! It's just...I'm...ya know, I think I'm gonna get some water. Yeah. Water. I'll be right back," he said to his girlfriend and buddy as he walked rather quickly into the kitchen.

Scott looked at Sheri and grinned wider. "I know it's mean, but it's so much fun to get him flustered like that. Hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Sheri laughed. "In the end, it's good for him, you know? He still needs to loosen up sometimes."

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Clay found Justin reaching into the refrigerator, while Alex and Zach were off to the side talking.

"You'd better not be getting another beer. I saw you drink your allotted ration for the evening," Clay said.

Justin pulled out a can of Coke and turned, showing it to his brother. "Yes, chaperone of mine. Look. Nice, wholesome, boring as fuck Coca-Cola. We all good? Not going to report me or anything, are you?"

"Geez, and you say I need to lighten up," Clay laughed. "But proud of you all the same. You can still have fun without the beer."

Justin sighed. "Yeah, I know. And not gonna lie...oh, and if you two say anything about this," he turned to look at Alex and Zach, "I'll deny it. But after all this time? That beer kinda tasted like shit."

"Yes. Thank you. See? Beer is nasty," Clay nodded in agreement.

"Says the both of you," Zach laughed. "You've just never had the right beer."

Alex nodded as he started to walk over slowly, limping. "He's right. This cheap stuff is...oh, whoa fuck!" His bad leg started to give, and three pairs of hands immediately came over to grab him and prevent him from falling.

"You okay?" Justin asked.

"You should sit down," Clay added.

"Let's go get your cane," Zach chimed in.

"No, he should go sit down for awhile and take the weight off his leg."

"You sure you're okay?"

"Naw, he needs his cane..."

"Oh my God!" Alex raised his voice. "I'm fine, Jesus! Fuck all three of you, I'm not helpless! Mostly! Zach...help me get back to the couch, I just need to take some weight off of it."

"See? Told you he needed to sit down."

"Yeah, yeah....okay, Scooby Dad." Alex rolled his eyes as Zach put an arm around Alex’s waist and started to walk him back to the living room."

"For the record, I think you're more like Fred," Justin said to his brother as he followed their friends. "C'mon, Jess and I are gonna sit out back with Tony. Grab Sheri and join us."

"Be right there, I'm just going to grab a bottle of water. And I'm _not_ Fred."

"Shaggy?"

"Shut up, JJ...."

Clay opened the fridge and found his water, and after closing it, noticed on the counter a plate of brownies that hadn't been unwrapped yet.

"Huh. Wonder why Cyrus didn't put these out," he said to himself as he unwrapped them and picked up a medium sized one. Taking a big bite, he immediately noticed how rich these were, moreso than the ones his mother made, and far better than one you could get at a convenience store. These were bakery quality. Whomever made them knew their stuff, that much was certain. "Damn...that's really good." Chewing and swallowing, he made quick work of the remainder of it, opened his bottle and took a drink of water to wash it down, and then went out of the kitchen to find his friends.

 

**********

 

Out on Cyrus' back deck, Clay, Sheri, Justin, Jess and Tony enjoyed a cloudless night, just cool enough to stay comfortable in shorts and short sleeves, chit chatting and listening to music on each others' phones, or finding some ridiculous meme on Tumblr to share with each other. Cyrus and Zach popped in and out a few times, as did Scott. Alex eventually joined them, cane in hand.

Thirty minutes went by, and then another fifteen, and Clay began to notice something.

He felt _good._ Very good. An all over the body kind of good. Somewhat tingly, very relaxed, almost as if he was floating. Maybe Justin was right, maybe a summer party was exactly what he needed, because he suddenly didn't have a care in the world. Further, for some reason, he came to the conclusion that he was smart. Well, truth be told he was always smart. Maybe he had become more smart. Profound, even. And he decided Alex _needed_ to know that he had come up with a solution to his problem with his leg.

"Alex. 'Lex. Dude. I've got it, man."

All eyes turned on Clay.

"Did...you just call me 'Lex? And what do you have, Clay?"

"The solution!"

"The...solution."

"Solution to what, Clay?" Tony asked.

Clay turned his head, a bit slowly, to look at Tony. "For Alex. His leg."

"What about it?"

"Wings."

Now, Sheri, Jess and Justin turned their heads just as slowly as Clay had.

Alex looked very confused. "Wings?"

"Now, hear me out. I've been thinking about this a lot just now. So...okay. Humans. We've evolved, right? And we used to have body things that we don't need anymore. Right? So. All we need to do...is keep. Evolving. And think about it, this makes sense! If we had wings....we could _fly._ And if you had wings, 'Lex? You wouldn't need your leg anymore!"

Sheri leaned over to whisper to Justin. "Is...he having a PTSD attack or something? He told me he took his pills this morning."

Justin shook his head. "He did."

"What is he talking about?" Jess chimed in.

"Fuck if I know..."

"So...let me get this straight...." Alex started.

Clay giggled. "You're not _straight_. Oh, neither are you, Tony."

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me in case I forgot, Clay."

Alex tried again. "Let me get this right. I should...evolve? And grow wings. And that way I wouldn't need my leg."

"Oh. Well. I mean...I _guess_ you would still need your leg, 'cause, like...you'd have to land and stuff. But really! We all should evolve and grow _wings_ and that way we can be birds for a day! Jus! Hey, Jus!"

Justin looked up. "Jus?"

"Yeah. You're Jus. Think about it! If we had wings and could fly, you wouldn't need to borrow my car anymore! You could fly to work and fly to school and oh! When you take out Jess, you could pick her up and _fly_ to where you want to go! Ohhh! And I could fly my Princess around!"

"Clay," Tony started. "How much beer did you drink?"

"Not much. I don't like beer. It's gross."

Tony turned to Justin. "Not much?"

Justin shrugged, but Sheri answered for him. "He barely made it through less than half a cup."

The talk about beer made Clay remember that he was thirsty, and he chugged down the rest of his water, crushing the plastic bottle with a satisfied sigh. "Hey. I'm gonna get another water. I'll be right back. I've got a lot more great ideas I want to share. Like....gills! We could have wings and gills! Yeah. Okay. Be back, don't leave!" Clay got up, slowly, and walked back inside.

"Don't fish have, like...wings already?" Justin asked.

"Those would be fins," Alex answered. "More important things right now. Did he hit his head or anything? Think the beer is messing with his meds?"

"If what Sheri said is right, that small amount shouldn't have that kind of a reaction. Did you all notice he seems really....happy? Like the last time I saw him that happy was the morning after Prom," Tony said.

"Wait." Justin looked at Sheri. "Last time he was this happy. Did you all....?"

"Justin! No! We didn't!"

"Okay, okay...just thought I'd ask is all."

Tony stood up. "Well, something is up with your brother. C'mon."

"Where are we going?"

"To make sure he's all right. Let's go."

"Yeah, okay."

"I'll catch up, I want to see how this plays out," Alex said, following behind slowly.

 

**********

 

"Where's Clay?"

Cyrus looked up from the Xbox game to look at Tony. "I saw him go in the kitchen. Why?"

"Something's...off."

Clay was indeed in the kitchen, and as Tony, Justin and Cyrus, met eventually by Alex, discovered, he had gotten hungry.

"Clay. What....are you eating?" Tony asked.

"Doritos and chocolate pudding," Clay replied, dipping a chip into the pudding tub, bringing it to his mouth and taking a bite. As he looked up, he saw three looks of revulsion and one of intrigue staring back.

"That any good?" Justin asked.

"Jesus, Justin," Alex said while making a face.

"See, that's what I thought at first, too!" Clay exclaimed, some pudding smearing his lips. "But you really need to try these! Dude, this is better than _sex_. And I'd know! I've had sex," he said proudly.

Justin reached forward. "I wanna try one..."

"No, you do not!" Tony held him back. "Okay, listen, something is wrong here." He walked around the island in the middle of the kitchen to come next to Clay. "Are you sure you're....oh. _Madre Dios_. Clay. Where are your shorts?"

Clay looked at him. "In the fridge."

"I know I'm going to regret asking this, but what the hell. Why are your shorts in the refrigerator, Clay?"

"I had a reason."

Cyrus looked over at the counter behind Clay and his eyes widened. "Oh. Oh Shit."

"What?" Alex asked him.

"Look," he pointed at the plate, unwrapped, and missing the brownie that had been sitting on top.

"So you had a reason to put your shorts in the refrigerator. And that would be...what?"

"I...huh. You know, I don't remember right now? But it must have been a good one. Dorito pudding chip?"

"Clay?" Alex asked. "Did....you eat one of Cyrus' brownies?"

"Yeah. But only one. Man, that was tasty!"

"Brownie? You mean you ate a....oh. Wait. Oh...my God!" Justin grinned and then covered his mouth, laughing.

"What?" Clay asked, confused.

Tony turned to Cyrus. "You're shitting me. Really?"

"I...was gonna save them as a surprise?" Cyrus shrugged.

"Clay, you ate a pot brownie," Alex explained.

"I did?"

"You did."

"Nooooooo. For real?"

"For real, little bro. Dude, you're stoned as fuck right now," Justin laughed.

"Oh. Oh wow. Huh. Oh! I remember why I put my shorts in the fridge! Fridge pants. See. Told you all I had a reason. Hey, we have any ice cream? I'm thinking Dorito pudding chips would make an _excellent_ topping."

"Is it bad that I think I'd wanna try that?" Justin asked through his laughter.

 

 

* * *

Will Clay come up with more great ideas?

How long will he stay stoned?

Will Matt and Lainie find out, and how will they react?

Stay tuned and find out!

 


	2. Because I Got High...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Stoned!Clay is.....still very stoned. And more Doritos Pudding Chips.

Following the revelation that Clay had inadvertently eaten a pot brownie, Justin - still laughing at his brother's situation - returned outside to the back deck, where Jess and Sheri waited for some kind of news.

"What is it? What's so funny?" Sheri asked.

"Oh my fuck...you've got to come inside and see this...your boyfriend, my brother, is high as a kite."

"He's...what?"

"Did the beer react with his medication after all?" Jess asked. "If that's the case, I don't see how this is funny, Justin..."

"No, no....Cyrus had some...let's call them, really special brownies. And Clay ate one before he came out here. C'mon, you've got to see."

Meanwhile, back inside, Clay was lecturing Zach, who had belatedly come into the kitchen and was quickly brought up to speed.

"....so, there's, like, an _infinite_ number of parallel universes all occupying the same space, right? But they can do that because they're vibrating...now, listen...they're vibrating... _at different speeds_."

Clay paused to dip a Dorito into the tub of chocolate pudding he was cradling like a baby and took a bite with a satisfied sigh before continuing.

"Mmph. That's _so_ good. Where was I? Oh, yeah. So, that means there's like...an infinite number of Clays and Justins out there, right? On one world we could be, like, superheroes...how cool would that be? I could totally be Captain America, and Justin would be Iron Man. And you could be like...hmm...you're really ripped so you can be the Hulk or Thor."

"Uh huh." Zach had retrieved Clay's shorts from the refrigerator at Tony's request and was following him around Cyrus' house in a vain attempt to get him to put said article of clothing back on. Back in the kitchen, Tony was giving Cyrus a scolding, wagging his finger in his face every so often and peppering his own lecture about how there shouldn't have been any drugs at this gathering at all with a phrase in Spanish here and there. Alex watched, somewhat amused, at the contrite look on his boyfriends face.

"...and if you ever want us to get together like this, _idiota,_ you'll never have this crap around them again. Got it? And what are you smirking at, Standall?"

Alex wiped the grin off his face. "Nothing! Nothing at all!"

"You two...I thought I had my hands full with Clay and Justin as it was, and now I have to worry about the lovebirds also!"

"Tony, it was an accident, okay? I was saving them for me and 'Lex and I promised that I wouldn't let anyone else have them...swear to fucking God, man!" Cyrus explained. "I forgot to hide them from everyone else. I'm really, really sorry."

"How much weed was in those things, and how long is Clay going to stay high?"

"Ummm....enough? And....awhile?" Cyrus answered, chagrined. "But, hey, he's like in a super good mood, right? That's....like, good and all."

Tony rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Wonderful," he sighed.

By now, Clay had walked back in, Zach trailing behind.

"...and on another, we could be major sports stars....Justin would love that....or just characters in a story, like fan fiction. Ooohhhh, that would be interesting. Hi guys." Clay happily munched away at his odd snack as he faced his friends.

"Clay, please put your shorts back on," Tony asked.

"My fridge pants?"

"Sure. Just let Zach help. Alex will hold your...pudding."

"Nnnn, mine," Clay pouted, turning away a little to protect the tub and bag of chips.

"Fine, alright..." Tony covered his eyes, exasperated.

Zach had knelt down behind Clay to assist him in putting his shorts back on. "Okay, lift one leg up Clay...there you go. Now the other..." He carefully lifted them up Clay's legs, and felt him shiver.

"Wow, fridge pants are cold. Huh. I wonder why I wanted fridge pants. Oh, well." Clay started to giggle, which turned into a fit of laughter. This was the scene that greeted Justin and the ladies as he brought them in from the back deck.

"See? Told ya. High as fuck."

"Clay?" Sheri walked up to her boyfriend as he settled down and stopped laughing. "How're you feeling? And why is Zach buttoning your shorts?"

"Hi babe. Hey, you want to try a Dorito pudding chip? Dude, these are _so_ good. Oh, remind me to tell you about infinite universes later. Do we have any ice cream? Or maybe we could order a pizza...man, I'm _hungry_ , isn't anyone else hungry?"

Justin came up next to Sheri. "He took off his shorts and put them in the refrigerator. Just....don't ask."

"Yeah...noted."

Scott had now joined the rest of the Gang in the kitchen as well. "Okay, I sent everyone else home. I told them Clay was having an allergic reaction to something...which isn't all that far from the truth, if you think about it."

"So...okay. I have something to say," Clay said, getting everyone's attention. He paused once more to take a bite of a pudding covered chip. "My fridge pants idea wasn't all that great because they got cold. But that's not what I want to say. No. Guys...we should build something. Now, hear me out...I've put a lot of thought into this, like...right now. Okay. So, like...Tony can do all kinds of mechanical stuff with engines and all that, and like, Alex and I can plan this and sketch it out. Because, I may not have the body, but my mind is, you know, smart and shit.....where was I? Oh, right. There should totally be flying cars by now...it's two-thousand fucking _eighteen_ and I want a flying car. So all we have to do...Alex, are you listening?"

"Got my full attention, Clay," Alex humored him.

"Good. So Alex, we need to design this. Justin....you can...what can you do, Justin?"

"Uh...drive the flying car?"

Clay giggled and laughed again. "No, _silly_ it's a flying car! You don't _drive_ a flying car! You fly it! Wow I feel all tingly. So. We can sketch this out and get to work on it. That way, Alex wouldn't need his wings. Oh yeah, and we need a Corgi army."

At this, the Gang simply looked at Clay in wonder.

"A...Corgi army. Like, the dog?" Jess asked.

"Uh huh. Right, so we train a bunch of Corgis to be our army. But they wouldn't have to do any fighting! Now...think about it. They're cute, right? And they've got little wiggly butts, right? Our enemies would stop fighting and go...'awwwwwww' and we'd win!"

"Okay, let's sit you down," Tony came over, taking charge. "We'll get some water in you and you can tell us all about all of your great ideas some more. Let's go back outside and get some fresh air, how does that sound?"

"That sounds okey dokey to me. Oh! Psssst! Hey! Tony!" Clay didn't exactly whisper.

"Yes, Clay?"

"I have to pee!"

Shaking his head, Tony turned to Justin. "He's your brother, this one is all yours. Bring him outside when's he through."

 

 

**********

 

Getting Clay into the bathroom was somewhat of an adventure in and of itself, as he kept wanting to wander off or go into different rooms. But finally, Justin steered him where he needed to be and closed the door behind them.

"Okay, bro, do your business."

Clay's hands were full, one holding the bag of Doritos and the other still cradling the tub of pudding. He looked down at them and then over at his brother, whimpering and making a sad face.

"You can put those down for just a minute."

Clay frowned.

"Clay....I am not going to take out your dick and hold it while you piss. We've been over this before, remember? When you got the concussion?"

"If you loved me you would," Clay pouted. "And I still feel all floaty....this is really cool!"

"Yeah, that's a thing. Bro, why don't you just hand me the bag of chips. I'll protect them."

"Promise?"

"I promise. Bro Code."

"Dude. Bro Code. That means you're serious. Okay, here." He handed over the bag of chips and, rather unsteadily, lifted the toilet seat and awkwardly unzipped his pants. With a sigh, he began to do his business while Justin made a face and turned away some.

"Hey! Hey, big bro?"

"S'up?"

"Know what? I got a _big dick_."

"Yes. Yes, you do, Clay."

As Clay continued to do his business and began to hum, someone else decided to show up.....

 

**********

 

_Dude....!_

Dude!!! Hi!!!!

_Duuuuuuuuuuuude......!!_

I know!!

_What did we eat??_

A brownie! It was a magic brownie!

_Oh my God I know, right?! Man....I feel good!_

I know!!

_This other stuff you're eating....oh my holy fuck is that amazing. Why didn't we think of it before??_

Right?!

_Hey! Hey...did you tell them about the flying car? Isn't that fucking AWESOME?? We should totally build that! Well, not us, but like...Tony or somebody..._

I know!! And I keep having all these great ideas! I'm gonna tell them some more!

_Okay!!!_

 

**********

 

"Clay?" Justin asked. "Why are you talking to yourself?"

Clay had finished and was tucking himself back into his pants. "Oh I do that every once and awhile. Just not out loud 'cause I don't want you to think I'm weird so I talk to him in my head. He shows up and helps sometimes."

"He....does? Who is he?"

Clay turned to look at his brother and a confused look came over his face. "Me. Who else would it be?"

"Right. Wash your hands. Uh...hand, I guess." Justin turned on the faucet and Clay ran his hand under the water back and forth a few times. Not seeing a towel, and looking even more confused, he shrugged and wiped his hand on Justin's shirt.

"Thanks...."

"You're welcome. Can I have my Doritos back now?"

"Sure. Um. Can I try one of those...with the pudding?"

"Yes! Bro, you've _got_ to! Remember when you taught me what girls like to do sometimes? It's better than that!"

"Uh huh," Justin took out a chip and dipped it into the pudding, then cautiously brought it up to his mouth and took a large bite. "Wow...that's actually kinda good..."

"See? I told you I had really good ideas! I want to tell everyone all of them!"

"Man....getting you home tonight is gonna be all kinds of fun."

 

**********

 

"The THC should be making its way through his system. The more water he drinks, he'll piss more of it out, and he'll be fine. He's just....really happy. And talkative, obviously," Cyrus explained as Clay was telling Sheri and Jess about, in no particular order, the multiverse, why it would be awesome if everyone had a tail, how great and tingly he felt, and why cheesecake wasn't really cake.

"Were we like this when we smoked?" Alex asked Justin and Zach.

Zach shook his head. "No, man...we were way more chill. I think."

"Definitely," Justin agreed. "It made Call of Duty a trip to play. And sex on it was fucking awesome."

Hearing this, Jess turned to look at her sort-of-but-not-quite-yet boyfriend. "Really now."

"Uhh...but, like...I don't _need_ to do that to have sex. Anymore. Because, it's...special....without it. I'm just gonna shut up now."

"And this is, among other reasons, why I rarely if ever hung out at Walker's place," Scott added.

"Sex?" Clay perked up some. "I've had sex. Lots. With Sheri. She's my girlfriend," he finished with a giggle. "Justin likes to have sex with himself. Well, since he has his own bedroom now I dunno if he still does. But he did. I could hear him."

All eyes turned to Justin, who stood there with his mouth open for a minute before regaining his composure. "Oh, like you guys don't jack off."

"I'm not a guy," Sheri replied to him.

"Neither am I," Jess agreed.

"I am," Clay raised his hand.

"Yes, we know, Clay," Tony sighed. "I don't know if I should be laughing or crying right now."

Clay pointed at Tony. "Both!" he exclaimed, before starting to laugh again. "Both to infinity!"

"Drink some water, Clay."

"Yeah, that's a good idea....man, am I thirsty! Hey, do we have any more pudding?"

"Sorry dude, looks like you ate it all," Cyrus explained.

"Aw, man. Well how about...." Clay paused mid-sentence to yawn.

"This might be a good thing," Justin whispered to Tony. "If he's getting sleepy, this might be the perfect time to get him home."

Tony nodded and whispered back. "Good idea."

"Hey, bro? I know where we have more pudding. Back at home. How about we go there and you can have some."

"Yeah? Okay that sounds like a really good plan, Justin. My big brother is smart!" Clay yawned again.

 

**********

 

"I want the window down. No, wait. I want it up. Down? Maybe half way?"

Clay pondered the window controls of the Prius while Justin drove them home.

"Maybe three-quarters of the way....but do I want it three-quarters of the way down or up?" he asked while yawning again.

"Not gonna lie, bro....you are funny as shit when you're stoned. Take a drink of water, we're almost home."

Clay took a sip and giggled once he swallowed. "You know what's gonna be fun?"

"No, what?"

"Getting me inside past mom and dad," Clay broke out into laughter again before yawning once more and laying his head back, giggling quietly to himself.

"Well, let's hope they went to bed...."

As it turns out, Matt had gone to bed.

Lainie had not. Instead, she had started to watch a movie, and since it was nearly curfew for the boys, decided to just stay up and finish it while waiting for them to come home. So, the first thing Justin noticed when he pulled up and parked the car was the glow of the television coming through the living room window.

"Fuck."

"Told you," Clay said in a sing-song voice.

 

**********

 

"Okay, you've _got_ to be chill. Maintain. Don't do or say anything to let on that you're still high, or we're both in big trouble. Got it?" Justin whispered as he walked Clay up to the front door.

"Got it!" Clay whispered back. "But you promised me pudding!"

"Let's get you upstairs and showered and in bed and I'll see what I can do."

Locking the front door behind him quickly after they entered the house, he noticed Clay was swaying back and forth a little bit, and he quickly held onto him. "Chill, remember?"

"Boys? How was movie night?" Lainie called from the living room.

"Uhh...it was great! Yeah, we had a really good time....everyone says to say hi...nothing exciting happened...." Justin answered as he began to walk Clay to the stairs. "I think we're just gonna...play some Xbox before turning in."

"And I'm gonna have pudding!" Clay said. A little loudly. "But I'm kinda tired too, soooooooo I dunno."

"Bro, chill!" Justin hissed.

"Pudding?" Lainie hit pause and got up from the couch and walked to the entryway, whereupon she saw her adopted son holding up her first born. "Why do you want pudding....and what's wrong with your brother?"

"Hi mom!"

"Justin. Is Clay drunk?"

"What? No! No way, no...we didn't drink anything."

"Yes we did," Clay giggled. "We each had a small beer. But I don't like beer. It's nasty."

Lainie folded her arms and stared at the boys. "A small beer."

"And it was nasty."

Justin looked like he wished the floor would suddenly open up and swallow him whole. "Uh. Okay. So...we may have each had less than a full cup of beer. But that's all, I swear!"

"Then why does Clay look like and sound like he's drunk? And the truth, young man."

"Ummm...."

Clay perked up. "I'm high!" He grinned at his mother and then yawned.

"Justin."

"Mom...it was an accident....really!"

"Clay got high accidentally?" Lainie sighed and rubbed her forehead. "This is what you're going to do. You're going to get your brother upstairs and get him in bed. Then, you're going to come back down here and explain to me what happened tonight. And the more forthcoming you are, the less severe your punishment is going to be for both of you. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am. C'mon, bro, let's go..."

"Ooohhhhhh....you're in _trouble_...."

" _We're_ in trouble, now shut up and let's go."

 

**********

 

"......and that's the truth, we didn't know he had the brownies there, one of his friends brought them. Clay had no idea what was in them."

Lainie nodded at Justin, who sat across from her at the kitchen table. "I see. Well, you all looked after him, so that says something. I feel like I should start calling the other parents first thing in the morning..."

"Mom, no!"

"...let me finish. But, I won't. This time. At least it was marijuana and not a hard drug, and you didn't have one also when you very easily could have. Plus, it sounds like Tony gave Cyrus a good talking to, so that may be enough. And I'll be honest, it's not like your father and I didn't do that in college....but, that's besides the point, young man. You know that you and your brother have to be especially careful, and you know the reasons why."

"No, I know that. I'm really sorry about all this."

"Apology accepted. I'll talk to your father in the morning, but I'll recommend a light punishment for the beer drinking, seeing as how you did get your brother home safely and you looked after him."

"Okay, of course."

"All right. Check on Clay and then get to bed."

"Okay...." Justin got up and kissed Lainie on the cheek. "I'm really sorry, mom. It won't happen again." He turned to leave and go upstairs, when he heard his mother ask from behind him:

"Do I want to know why he wants pudding? We don't have any, you know."

Justin paused and grinned. "Probably not, no. But you might want to get some Doritos also. Night mom, love you."

Trotting upstairs, Justin peeked into Clay's room. His brother had sprawled out on top of his bed, shorts off and shirt still on, and was snoring lightly, a small smile on his face. He tiptoed into the room and took the blanket that was draped across the couch and brought it over to cover him.

"Night, dumbass," he whispered.

Clay giggled in his sleep and rolled over.

 

**********

 

_**The next morning....** _

 

Clay walked very slowly into the kitchen, and saw that his family was already there waiting for him on this Saturday.

"Morning," he grumbled.

"Good morning, son," Matt greeted him in return. "I hear you had a rather interesting night."

"Yeah....that's one way of putting it," he answered, opening up a cabinet and taking out a coffee cup. "I feel really woozy and my head hurts."

"That happens," Justin said in between bites of scrambled eggs. "You'll need to drink a lot of water today."

"Grounded for the rest of the weekend....that means no Xbox or time with the gang, you're both staying home, limited time on your phones, and extra chores this week. That's for the beer. You shouldn't drink with your medication, and Justin shouldn't for reasons that should be obvious," Lainie said. "It's a minor infraction, so minor punishment. And Clay, you're getting off especially light considering your time under the influence wasn't by choice."

"I told you we shouldn't have had any," Clay said to his brother as he poured a cup of coffee. "I told you beer is nasty."

"Yeah, yeah....so, you were right. Oh, our first task is to do the grocery shopping for mom today, so get some food in you and get showered and dressed so we can get going."

"Okay," Clay agreed before taking a sip of coffee. "Is it a big list?" he asked as he sat down next to his brother.

"Nah, not bad. Oh....I added Doritos and chocolate pudding to it though," he winked.

Clay groaned and put his head on the table.

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Mazers!
> 
> So welcome back, and thank you for reading the conclusion of this one. Totally silly, I know, but I wanted to write something goofy for a change, and what could be more goofy than stoned out of his mind Clay?
> 
> Anywho, I hope you liked this, and thank you so much for your comments and feedback on my other story this week, "October 9" about the first anniversary of Hannah's death. I am so very proud of it and it has to be, by far, the most emotional story I've ever written.
> 
> Did you know Ye Writer has a Tumblr? Well, I do! Not a whole lot going on over there just yet, but I'd love to interact with you all and answer questions and just possibly maybe take a request for the Mazeverse! Come say hi at https://www.tumblr.com/blog/therealdaveofdaves and let's be friends!
> 
> So, what's coming up next? Well, a new chapter of "This Time" is forthcoming in a few days. After that, it's time for some long overdue justice, as Monty will be on trial. Oh, and don't think I forgot about a road trip for our heroes either, and it'll be Halloween soon!
> 
> As always, thank you so much for your kudos, comments and feedback, I appreciate it so very much. Stay tuned! Clay and Justin will return in chapter three of "This Time" very soon. See you over there!

**Author's Note:**

> Hi Mazers!
> 
> Don't worry, the angst is returning soon, I just wanted to write something totally ridiculous for a change! Thanks as always for the comments, kudos and feedback.
> 
> Let me know what you all think, and stay tuned...Justin and a very high Clay will return in the second part, coming soon!


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